Kapiti coast highway cycle graters to be extended

**DogBreath** · 24th November 2005, 23:26

I hear on the news today the section of cycle graters (wire median barrier) on the Kapiti coast is to be extended another 3.8km, all for a mere $15m.
I am not too keen on the idea of going for a skate into that shit, you fellas better be careful down there

**flyingscotsman** · 25th November 2005, 05:54

The speed limit along that stretch of road is 80k but you're lucky if we hit that on a good day. It's murder on Friday night & holiday weekends when you can probably walk faster than the traffic. Thank God for two wheels - up the outside - bye, bye suckers !!!! Anyway, everyone says it's a killer road - bullshit it's the crap drivers that give it the statistics - be interested to know how many bike riders figure in the stats.

**F5 Dave** · 25th November 2005, 08:38

Well if they keep the cars on the right side of the road it will be safer for bikes

**Sketchy_Racer** · 25th November 2005, 08:44

Originally Posted by flyingscotsman

The speed limit along that stretch of road is 80k but you're lucky if we hit that on a good day. It's murder on Friday night & holiday weekends when you can probably walk faster than the traffic. Thank God for two wheels - up the outside - bye, bye suckers !!!! Anyway, everyone says it's a killer road - bullshit it's the crap drivers that give it the statistics - be interested to know how many bike riders figure in the stats.

yea its those dumb lazy arse cage drivers that keep falling asleep while driving their mobile lazy boys - slack bastards

**Slingshot** · 25th November 2005, 09:25

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

Well if they keep the cars on the right side of the road it will be safer for bikes

I agree...yes they would hurt if you hit a wire rope barrier but it would hurt even more if you were collected head-on by a car.

And now for pages of ranting about how nobody cares about the saftey of bikers.

**DogBreath** · 26th November 2005, 00:57

Originally Posted by Slingshot

I agree...yes they would hurt if you hit a wire rope barrier but it would hurt even more if you were collected head-on by a car.

And now for pages of ranting about how nobody cares about the saftey of bikers.

Not so sure about that, check out the research at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd.../05-0095-O.pdf

Here they reckon the wire barrier is guaranteed to cause limb breakages at average speeds, after which the rider is flipped over the barrier into the oncoming traffic, nice eh?
This document is worth a read, if the link doesn't work let me know and I'll attach the pdf.

**Slingshot** · 26th November 2005, 09:13

Originally Posted by DogBreath

Not so sure about that, check out the research at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd.../05-0095-O.pdf

Here they reckon the wire barrier is guaranteed to cause limb breakages at average speeds, after which the rider is flipped over the barrier into the oncoming traffic, nice eh?
This document is worth a read, if the link doesn't work let me know and I'll attach the pdf.

Excellent, finally there is some actual research posted on the subject, thanks. I'll have a read through and I'll let you know if my opinion changes.

**Swoop** · 26th November 2005, 20:22

Being a metal barrier on a road that is extremely close to salt air and sea spray, I wonder if they have researched the effects of these on the metal wire used??? That would be even more pleasant being sliced open with a rusty wire...

**skidz** · 27th November 2005, 03:00

Anything that keeps oncoming traffic on thier side is a good thing!!

**DogBreath** · 27th November 2005, 07:01

Originally Posted by skidz

Anything that keeps oncoming traffic on thier side is a good thing!!

I'm not denying that, but I think there is a better way of building a median barrier than wire. The cheapest option isn't always the best, and in this case $15,000,000 for less than 4kms of fence is pretty bloody expensive anyway.
The research suggests extra horizontal rails on steel barriers stops cars, trucks and cycles from crossing the centre line, and the cyclist is less likely to suffer serious injury after striking a steel barrier.
I would like to see LTNZ look at the other options, not just pick the cheapest.
We have a long length of wire up here in the Waikato, and it gives me the shits just driving passed it, let alone riding.
That and half of it has been down for "service" for a couple of months, which meant huge queues at 50k while traffic was routed around it. From that I guess it is a little more complicated to install than just bunging in a few posts and stringing some wires.
I would like to see a comparitive cost for steel barriers.
Not that I would really enjoy hitting either!

**sedge** · 27th November 2005, 09:24

Originally Posted by DogBreath

I'm not denying that, but I think there is a better way of building a median barrier than wire.

The problem with the coast Rd is that it's a single lane with no run off area... concrete wall on one side, hillside the other. The barrier needs to be removeable so they can get emergency vehicles in and out if there is an accident. I don't mind it so much now that I've got to know it... If traffic is moving at the speed limit then there isn't much of it (traffic) so accidents are rare. If there is a lot of traffic it's generally stopped and I can usually ride between it and the barrier.

Ah... The coast Rd... Now the 4 lanes are open in Mana it backs up all the way to the swamp on Fridays.

Love the roading engineers... I've got a great idea... Bottleneck the traffic at Mackays, Paekak and the coast Rd putting in new medians, then open up the flow at Mana and we'll have a laugh eh ? Oh yeah, drop the speed limit on the Paekak hill too, heh heh. Should be able to get the queue all the way back to Porirua again.

Sedge.

**WINJA** · 27th November 2005, 10:08

IM GLAD THESE CYCLE GRATERS ARE BEING EXTENDED , THE WAY I SEE IT IF I HIT ONE ITS CAUSE I FUCKED UP OR WAS BEING SILLY AND THATS MY FAULT. IF ARE CAR HITS IT INSTEAD OF HITTING ME IM SWEET . I KNOW THERE NOT THE SAFEST BUT IF TRANSIT DOES NOTHING THATS WORSE.
TRANSIT ARE TRYING TO STRETCH THERE DOLLAR AS FAR AS POSSIBLE AND PROTECT AS MANY KM OF HIGHWAY AS THEY CAN , GOOD ON THEM

**Beemer** · 27th November 2005, 10:49

I find it hard to believe it can cost $15 million - someone must be raking in the dough somewhere along the line. I suppose that is for consultants, roading engineers, workers, stop-go men, traffic lights while the work is being done, perks for the boys, etc.

The thing I always worry about when travelling along that road is the likelihood of coming around a blind corner and finding an accident ahead - where the hell can you go, and what is going to stop all the traffic behind from smashing into you? At least before you had the ability to turn around and head back the other way, but now you are stuck there until it's cleared - and we all know how long fatal accidents take to clear. I feel sorry for the truckies who would get caught up for hours - and what if there was an ambulance in the middle of the queue with a seriously ill patient?

**What?** · 28th November 2005, 05:16

Seems that no-one here likes the wire rope barriers. So who has written to Transit about it? A few thousand leters (copied to MP's) might make a difference. maybe.